FRISCO, Texas (March 9, 2023) – Attempting to overcome a 16-points deficit in the second half, Lubbock Christian University went on a 10-2 run inside the final three minutes of regulation to force overtime, but Texas A&M International was able to holdoff the LCU surge and the Lady Chaparrals fell 90-80 in triple-overtime of Lone Star Conference Championship Quarterfinals inside Comerica Center. With the loss, the Lady Chaps are eliminated from the LSC Championship tournament and will hope to hear their name announced in Sunday's NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Selection Show, as the eight-team South Central Regional field will be announced at 9:30 p.m.
The Lady Chaps (21-9) had four players score in double figures, led by Grace Foster, who put together a double-double with 22 points and 15 rebounds. Audrey Robertson added 18 points, seven rebounds and four steals and Maci Maddox chipped in as well with 14 points, seven assists and three steals.
The game was the longest game in LSC Championship (tournament) history, as the only game to make it into three overtimes.
How it Happened
Lubbock Christian struggled out of the gate, falling behind 15-6 at the end of the first quarter. LCU was held to two field goals in the opening quarter, shooting 28.6% (2/7) from the field.
Texas A&M International kept adding to that lead, building a 21-9 advantage before Lubbock Christian went on a 6-0 run, highlighted by a bucket from Kennedy Chappell, to narrow its deficit to 21-15. Texas A&M International responded and expanded its lead, leaving the Lady Chaps trailing 34-23 heading into halftime. Maci Maddox led LCU with seven points in the half, with all seven tallied in the second quarter.
Texas A&M International continued to increase its lead after halftime, building a 47-32 advantage before Lubbock Christian went on a 6-0 run to trim its deficit to 47-38 with 34 seconds to go in the third. Lubbock Christian played well near the basket, scoring 10 of its 15 points in the paint. Chappell had six points (all from the field) in the quarter for LCU, who ended the quarter on a 9-2 run and did not have any points from beyond the arc in the frame.
Lubbock Christian narrowed its deficit to 62-54 before going on a 7-0 run, finished off by Chappell's layup, to shrink the deficit to 62-61 with 59 seconds to go in the fourth. The Lady Chaps rally continued as they outscored Texas A&M International 9-2 over the 2:23, as they held TAMIU without a field goal for the final 3:46 of regulation. Grace Foster's layup with 22 seconds remaining forced overtime, tied 63-63.
LCU took a two-point advantage on two occasions in the first overtime, but TAMIU used a 7-3 run to lead 70-68 with 1:16 left. LCU had their last five points of the period scored by Robertson, who hit a three-pointer with 28 seconds left to force a second overtime, tied 73-73.
The second overtime was uneventful, as the two teams combined to go 1-of-8 from the field. LCU had all four of their points from the free-throw line, and a pair from Robertson, with 1:05 remaining, was able to push the game into a third overtime (tied 77-77).
The third overtime was all TAMIU, as they closed the game on a 10-2 run. LCU was held to four points and they were all from Foster, who eventually fouled out.
Game Notes
» Grace Foster notched an impressive double-double for the Lady Chaps with 22 points and 15 rebounds. It marked the fourth double-double by a Lady Chaps member this season and the second by Foster, who has 17 double-doubles in her career. Her 15 rebounds were two away from matching her career high, but it did set a program record for single-game rebounds in a LSC Championship contest. Her 22 points marked her 12th performance this season with at least 20 points scored.
» Maci Maddox established a new LSC single-game record in a LSC Championship (tournament) game for minutes played, as she played 53:54. She was one of three Lady Chaps with over 53 minutes played, as Foster (53:15) and Robertson (53:21) were seconds behind Maddox.
» Lubbock Christian fell to 5-6 when trailing at the half, 0-9 when trailing after three quarters and 3-1 in overtime contests.
» The game marked the second consecutive quarterfinals contest in which LCU went to overtime in Frisco, as LCU edged Texas A&M-Kingsville 74-72 in overtime in 2023. Friday's loss placed LCU with a 9-3 all-time tournament record at the LSC Championships.
» Grace Foster had four blocks, matching the single-game high (third time by a Lady Chap) for blocks in a LSC Championship tournament game.
» Foster was at the free-throw line with 22 seconds remaining with an opportunity to make a free-throw to convert an and-one and would have given LCU a 64-63 lead. Unfortunately for Foster, she missed the free-throw, which was her first-ever miss from the free-throw line at the LSC Championships, and it ended a sequence of 20 consecutive made free-throws in the tournament. She went 8-of-10 from the line Friday, which has her 23-of-25 (92%) all-time from the line in the game. To contrast to LCU's history, Emma Middleton (10-of-10) and Laynee Burr (23-of-24, 95.8%) have had success all-time in the tournament for LCU.
» The two teams combined for 57 personal fouls (29 on TAMIU). The 28 fouls on LCU are the most in their NCAA era (beginning 2015-16), and the same for a game involving LCU in combined fouls (57).
» Lubbock Christian attempted 38 free-throws, which is tied for the fifth-most since 2008. It is their highest total since they had 38 on Mar. 13, 2021 against Cameron. LCU made 28 free-throws Friday, which is their highest mark in a single game since making 29 on Nov. 6, 2022 in Kansas City, Mo. Against Missouri Western.
» The Lady Chaps committed 23 turnovers. Their second-highest total of the season behind a mark of 24, ironically in their prior meeting this season against TAMIU.
» The game went three overtimes, but there were only five lead changes in the game. LCU only led for 1:51 of the 55 minutes played in the contest.
» TAMIU has won three consecutive head-to-head meetings against LCU and has LCU's all-time record against TAMIU at 19-4. The meeting was the third all-time conference tournament meeting (the prior two were in Tulsa, Okla. in the Heartland Conference Championship tournaments) and the first won by LCU.
What's Next
LCU hopes to be included as an "at-large" in the eight-team field of the South Central Regional on Sunday at 9:30 p.m., as the NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Selection Show will air on NCAA.com. LCU has made seven NCAA regional appearances over their eight seasons they have been eligible to qualify since leaving NAIA (2017 was the only season they did not qualify).
